Manufacture of seed blocks



Nov. 10, 1931'. B. HOLM-HANSEN MANUFACTURE OF SEED BLOCKS Filed Jan. 22, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet.

Elgar fio/mj'v a/isexz Not 10, 1931. B. HCLM-HANSEN 1,831,176

MANUFACTURE OF SEED BLOCKS Filed Jan. 22, 1931 s Sheets-Sheet 2 F I T 1 g. -i- .L 1 I...

No v- 10, 93 B. HOLM- -HANSEN 1,331,176

F MANUFACTURE OF SEED BLOCKS Filed Jan. 22, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 25 %F ,44 33 28 I 243 W Win U47 15 19 Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE, v

BIRGER HOLE-HANSEN, OF OSLO, NORWAY, ASSIGNOR '10 INTERNATIONAL SKOGPLANT- NINGSMETODE .A KTIESIELSKAP, OF OSLO, NORWAY MANUFACTURE OF SEED BLOCKS Application filed January 22, 1931, Serial No. 510,416, and in Norway July 9, 1929.

My invention relates to the planting of seed, especially for forestry purposes. It is a known process in the production of plants to put the seed in pots or blocks formed out of a material, which, when the seed has developed into a small plant, and the latter put in the soil without removing it from the block, will decay or disintegrate sufficiently to allow the roots of the plant to penetrate the block and grow further in the 5011 surrounding the block.

This method of seed planting has its greatest importance for the forestry, but in order to be used for this special purpose, it must be possible to carry it out in a cheap and easy way. The present invention has for its purpose to solve this problem by carrying out the whole process from the production of the blocks till the placing of the blocks provided with seed planted in suitable soil in the blocks, in a wholly mechanical and wholly or nearly automatic manner.

The invention comprises a process and the means to carry out this process in mechanical manner on a great scale and in a practically useful form. It comprises a process suitable for the mechanical production of the blocks for such purpose.

It also comprises specific materials or compositions of materials for the blocks and a manner of treating these blocks after the production, so that they are made durable and resistant during the handling and so that they will ensure the growth of the seed and the development of the plant before the final planting.

As material for the blocks heretofore peat or peaty material has been used, or such material mixed with other suitable matter for instance fertilizing materials or soil. I may also make use of this kind of material. I

have however found it more advantageous to use a mixture of crushed charcoal and loamy soil. this material straw, hair or fibres of any kind. A. point in the invention is also to provide a protecting layer on the outside of the blocks. As such may be used wax or para-fiin or paraflined paper.

In some instances I mix with Generall speaking the process when carrying out t e invention is as follows:

The material from which the blocks are to be made is carried by a conveyer for instance a band or a tube on to a flat working table. This table is combined with or made integrally with a press table provided with moulds. Above this press table, which can be operated with a rectilinear or a rotary movement, is arranged a pressing apparatus.

It is preferable that the pressing operation be carried out in a step by step manner. Thus the mould may be first filled with some block material, whereafter the press die goes down in the mould and compresses the material. Then the mould is moved a further step. More material is supplied and another ressing 0 eration takes place. This can e repeate two'or more times. The block when ready has a'cavity" is take up the S011 with the seed.

Havingin the foregoing given a general explanation of the purpose 0 the invention,

I shall now in a more particular manner describe the process and the means most suitable for carrying out the invention on an industrial scale, having reference to the annexed drawings, of which: Fig. 1 is a dia ammatic layout showing the process asa w ole.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of a planting block with the seed in it.

Fig. 3 is a diagram for illustratin the process by showing the combination 0% mechanical means adapted for carrying outthe process in a wholly automatic manner. The drawing is a vertical view partly in section.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a. preferred form of a machine used in carrying out the invention. Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a front view of the machine. Fig. 7 is a side view of the machine. Fig. 8 is a lan view of the reservoir for soil with which the cavities in the blocks are to be filled.

Fig. 9 is a vertical view partially in sec tion of the same. a

Referring to Fig. 1 on the drawings, 1 represents the pressing apparatus from which, a

i. I r;

block' Q'in as. finished form-is su lied a) a movable band or work table 3, upon which a it is carried further. The block is at 4 supplied'with part of the soil mixture which is to be used. Thena. further step forward is made,zwhereafter. at.' 5 the seed is supplied. Finally atfia layer of soil is placed on to .f of the seed.'-. It is now advisable that the sol in the'cavity be compressed before the block is removed-from the machine and laced on I a band or board or other storing evice for J beingcarried away. It is also recommendable. to impregnate the blocks with a suitthe blocks able substance, so as to' make .them' more dipping them in a mass of melted wax, parafdurable and resistant, which canbe done by fin or similar substance which should be of such nature that the resultin outer layer on the blocks will not prevent t e roots from penetratinglinto the surrounding1 soil when ave' been placed e soil.

I Referring to Fig. 3, A represents members in a chain, each member serving as a mould to form seed books. B are pins by which the moulds are connected to form a .con-.

tinuous' chain and these pins project on each side with their ends into a groove G, having two horizontal parts connected at their ends with semi-circa ar parts.

In this way six (or it may be more) of the" moulds, being those in operation for orming the blocks, willalways be moved in a hon zontal plane, in efiect constituting part of a working table, and will rest during this part the necessar operation.

this driving shaftthe chain is imparted a step by ste motion by means of a crank pin F and r0 G connected with the arm H, which, by means of a pawl I and ratchet wheel J on a shaft K, turns the cross wheel L an' angular distance such that the 'chainlwith which the arm of the cross wheel is in engagement is moved during each revolution of the driving shaft F a distance equal-to the length of one chain member... This" istance is in the present instance Each of the chain members has .a moulding cavity M, corresponding in form with the seed blocks to be produced. Below these cavities there is placed in the chain member an ejector N ca able of a longitudinal motion.

n the driving shaft are provided cranks O, O, O and connected therewith presser' dies P, P, P. Openings R, R, R and R are provided in the vertical frame plate, through which material to be supplied to the moulds is pushed from a part of the working table behind the'frame plate to the successive moulds or chain members.

The six moulds resting on the plate D and representing as many stages in the process are marked 1 11, "111 my and VI." In thei stage I the die 1 compresses a mass of block material to'fill thelower part of the mould; in the stage II the die P compresses i a further quantity of material. In the stage III the block is pression'a cavity is formed in the block for taking up soil and the seed.

into this cav tyhbut .not so much as to fill it completely. ereupon in the stage V seed is supplied throu h a tube S and in the stage ,VI soil through t e tube'T issupfplied so as the cavit to cover the seed. The contents 0 may now be exposed to some pressure, whic pressed to. its final sire and form-by the die this die being so shaped that simultaneously withthe finishing com- 17:" In the sta e IV-some soil is now pushed may be done at the stage VII, for instance,

by means of, one or more springs beneath which the mould may pass on its way to the last station VIII, when the block is ushed .out of the mould, and transferred to t econve or or other storing device.

the drawin s, which is only serving as a means of clear y illustrating the series of operations and not as a preferred design of a. machine, these two last stations of the chain 3 members are illustrated asbeing located at I the downward travel of the moulds, but in practice it is preferred to have all stages of operations arran ed while thechain members still are trave ling horizontall The ex ulsion'of the completed look from the moul is performed by means of a rod-U connected with an arm V on a shaft 9 carrying another arm X which is in engagement with the lower end of a lever Y whose upper end projects. into w cell on the driving shaft.

. When the rod'U hits the ejector N this latter-pushes the block out of the mould and presses it against a gripper a.

This gri per is placed on the ends of a four-arme cross '0, which. is rotatably mounted on a shaft 6, the latter being imparted a step by step rotation by means of a pawl and ratchet mechanism consisting of a ratchet wheel d on the said shaft-and a 'pawlk e on a freely movable arm f, a rod g connecting this arm with an arm h on' the aforesaid shaft W. As this shaft "is imparted a rocking movement by means of the lever Y, this a cam slot in the cam '1 motion will also be imparted to the rod g. 1.

is a basin containing im regnating material and, as shown, when the lock is taken by thegripper, it will be carried down and dipped into this basin (station-IX). Thereafter, it

will by the next movement of the four-armed cross 0 be lifted to the station X where it is removed from the ipper in any convenient way, for instance y a second gripping device e. a rin cli arm m WhlCh laces 9 b it, 'by a 90 swinging motion, on a belt or board. This spring clip arm should prefer ably be provided with some protruding pins y rear-ave formed in the impregnating material to give means of a access of air to the block. "1 I an example of a'machine for carr 'ng out the invention, an automatically wor mg machine .with a working table having a rotatory motion. This machine, generally speaking, performs its work substantiall in the same manner as the machine shown 'a ram:

. 3, the operation ofwhich, as

. e process, s'ubject'matter ofm invention, has been described above.

matically in Fi n this embodiment the rotatable press table ll is rovidcd with moulds 12 au'dlby altese. cross or Geneva ear rotated step by ste aboutits center. 7 T e Mal- (see line mm Fig. 5) are raised'to a higher po tese cross 13 is riven by means 01a pin 14 eccentrically 'mounted on a bevel which in turn is driven by means of the pulley' 16, through a bevel gear 17, a shaft 18 a gear 19, a pinion 20 and the shaft 21. T e

moulds 12 are arran ed in a circle around the In the embodiment center of the tab e. shown a number of moulds are I grouped at each station on the table,

, mould cavities are positioned radially to the table at each station which permits of the simultaneous production of two pieces, where by the output of the machine is doubled. In

this wa it becomes possible, for instance, in

about 24,000 blocks. a

' Above the press table which is rotatably mounted in the machine frame are two precom ressing dies 22 and 23, a pressing die igs. 4, 6 and 7) and two pressing dies 25 and 26. The pro-compressing dies 22 and 23 and the pressing die 24 operate to pro duce the pressed blocks, to provide the cavities for the admission ofsoil and-seed, while the pressingdies25 and 26 successively slightly compress the soil and seed lodged in the ;cavity. The pressing die 25 is driven by the shaft 21 through a crank device 2'4 and 28 the crank 27 of'which is keyed to the end of d the shaft 18. The connecting rod 28 en- I gages an arm 29 which is slidably mounted on a fix'ed rod 30.

The pie-compressing dies 22 and 23 and the pressing die 24 are similarly driven by means of a crank device 31, 32. The die 24 is on its lower surface provided with knobs 33,

,which during the last compression of the ma terial in the mould simultaneously form the cavity in the pressed piece. Similar knobs 33 on the pressing die 25 serve to compress the soil in seed cavity. 7

The last pressing die 26 is driven by means of crank devices 35 and 36 (Fig. 6). The crank discs 32 and 36 are mounted on the ends of a shaft 37 and connected with the shaft 18 by means of a'pair of bevel gears 38, a shaft 39 and a pair of bevel gears 40.

The step by step rotation of the press table 'i.pre-'compressing dies and s is efiected-b means'oflafcommon operating In the drawings Figs. 4-9 Iha-ve shown, as

gear 15,

-in this case two 'means of a Maltese .cross or --is rotatedstep by step. The

I of which corresponds to the.

1'1" and" the p d m e I'the device i. e. ependent o ufeach he moulds 12 areclose at-athejbottom' by; .laeeable' side of {the plunfiers 41. The shapeofthe at the plungers 41 from a cam 42 is such t predetermined position of the press table 11 sition and remain in this certain angle of rotation 0 upon they are tposition during a the table, where lowered [until they have the pressing diesl-jsc'h'argemoulds, so that operator. The

' 175 42 Which is secured e press table 11, in engagementwith the rollers 43 rotatably mounted on the lower reached the lowermostposition (see, line 5 a in Fig. .5). Theplu'ngers 41 are preferably not only guided in the rods 44, which are fastened to the table. 1

' Immediatelvabove the mould plate 45 on the presstable 11, filling members 4S-are pro the pressing die, so that t e said members. when the table is not moved (at the end of one step of rotation) always are located between the moulds 12. [These members 46 provide for an automatic filling of the ingllilds through the rotation of the press The supply of soil and seed to the cavities takes place from special, proportioning devices, tables or reservoirs 47,48- The soil reservoirs 47 are provided with "suitable means for supplying a suitable quantity of soil adapted to the size of the cavity. The proportioning device by which this is accomplished, as shown most clearly in Figs. Sand 9', consists of a reservoir] 47 48 which by eneva gear 49, Maltese cross is rlven by means of a crank 50through a pair of bevel gears-51 which by means of a chain moulds, but also in the V vided between the pre-comlpressing'dies and i 52 are connected with the main driving shaft 21. In th'ebottom of the table 48 is'drilled'a plurality of proportioning holes 53, the size quantity "of soil to be filled in. "The proportioning holes 53 are covered by a fixed circular ring 54fon which the table 48 rotates. This ring 54 has two passages 55, and is arranged in such a manner relative to the table, that the openings 55 arealigned with the proporti'oning holes 53 at each position of restof the table :48, so that the content of the proportioning holes 53,. when in alignment with the openings 55 may'fall out and through a tube 56 be carried to the press table and the moulds 12. I i

To ensure that-the proportioning holes are thoroughly emptied plungers 57 are provided over the openings 55, which plungers are actuated automatically from the machine and are pressed into the holes 53 as soon as the table is at rest, to remove the soil which may adhere to the edge of the holes and push it out through the holes 55 and into the tube 56. p

The filling of the porportioning holes 53 takes place similarly to the filling of the moulds 12 automatically by means of members 58, which are fastened to a segment 59 and extend to the bottom of the table 48. The segment 59 is stationary and carried by the machine frame as by means of uprights 60.

The reservoir 47 is supplied with soil either by hand or by means of a conveyer so that it is always covered by a layer of soil. In this Way is obtained the result that the proportioning holes 53 which are emptied through the openings 55, again are filled on further rotation of the table, the soil at each rotation of the table being stowed up at the members 58 and falling down into the proportioning holes 53. I

The proportioning device of the seed reservoir 48 operates exactly in the same way as the proportioning device of the soil reservoir 47. The former is driven through a chain 61 (Fig. 4) by means of the bevel gears of the soil proportioning device. The seed is carried to the moulds or the blocks through a tube 62.

The machine 0 erates in the following manner. The bloc material e. g. peat dust is supplied to the press table 11 by a conveyor or by hand, similar to the way in which the proportioning device 47 receives the soil, and in such quantities that the press table always is covered by a layer of a thickness of at least 3-4 cm. By the step by step rotation, the peat dust reaches the first filling members and is swept down by the latter into the first mould 12'. After the first rotation the table is stopped, whereupon the first compressing dies 22 pass into the mould and partially compress the peat dust. On the further rotation of the table the moulds which are first filled, arrive below the second filling member so that they are filled with peat dust the second time. This second filling is compressed by the second compressing die 23 upon the moulds having reached the position 12". On the next rotation of the table 11, the moulds are filled by the third filling memher and the third filling compressed by the die 24 in the position 12".

During this pressing the cavity 63 (Fig. 2) for soil and seed is simultaneously formed. When the table 11 is stopped the next time, this cavity is partially filled with soil from the proportioning device of the soil reservoir 47 and compressed by the pressing die 64. At the next position of rest of the table the seed 65 (Fig. 2) will fall from the seed proportioning device of the seed reservoir 48 into the cavity which is partially filled with soil, and in the next position of the table the seed is covered with soil. This second filling of soil, which also takes place automatically from the proportioning device of the soil reservoir 47, is when the table is again stopped, compressed by a slight pressure of the die 26, so as to establish a suitable-contact between the seed and the soil.

The further rotation of the table actuates the plungers 41 to engage with the cam 42, and the finished blocks are raised out of the mould. Upon the plungers 41 having rolled down on the cam and thus again arrived at their lowermost position, the individual operations described above are repeated.

I have found it preferable to carry out the process using presser dies of a special form in order to obtain a uniformly and well compressed block. For this purpose the presser dies are provided with a head of less diameter than the moulds and having a conical form with a rounded end whereby the material is compressed not only axially but also transversely in the mould. I have indicated with dotted lines in Fig. 2 at 64 such form of the presser head and the form of cavitv in the block thereby produced. By a suitable filling of this cavity of material for the next pressing operation. and employing for this a presser head of somewhat smaller dimensions a very uniformly compressed block of great resistance may be obtained. I am thereby enabled to make use of material for forming the blocks which at the same time secures a block of great resistance as of a physical and chemical nature suitable forthe rapid growth of the plant and its roots.

Although I have shown in the accompanying drawings and described above a preferred form of my invention and have suggested various modifications thereof,'it is to be understood that numerous other changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of my invention.

Claims:

1. An apparatus for formingseed blocks and planting seed, comprising a set of moulds for forming seed blocks from a suitable material by a pressing operation, means to move said moulds by a step bv stop motion successively to a plurality of stations, means at each station to supply material to the moulds,

presser dies cooperating with said moulds to successively compress the material supplied to the moulds, said presser dies each having a head entering the mould, of less diameter than the latter and of a conical form so as to exert a compressing action axially as well as transversely and leaving a cavity in the material after each pressing operation, means to supply soil and seed to the cavity in the mould formed by the last pressing operation, and means to cover the seed with'soil, means to compress the contents of the cavity and means to remove the finished seed block from the mould.

2. An apparatus for forming seed blocks and planting seed comprising a set of moulds for forming seed blocks from a, suitable ma-. terial by a pressing operation, means to move said moulds by a step by step motion successively to a plurality of stations, means ateach station to supply material to the moulds, presser dies cooperating with said moulds to successively compress the material sup lied to the moulds, the last one of said dies }I13.V- ing a projection of less diameter than the moulds to form a cavity in the moulded block, means to successively supply soil and seed to the so formed cavity and means to cover the seed with soil, means to compress the contents of the cavit means to remove the finished seed block rom the mould, a gripping device adapted to engage the seed block at its top side, means to move the gripping device by a step by step motion to a container of impregnating material so as to bring the block into the impregnating material with its top edge above the surface of the latter and means for subsequently carrying the block to a storage device.

3. In an apparatus for forming seed blocks and planting seed in combination, a frame, a main driving shaft, a working table, a soil reservoir, and a seed reservoir, all of which having a step by step motion imparted from the drlving shaft by suitable gearing, means to continually supply moulding material to the working table, means for proportioning soil and seed to be delivered from the respective reservoirs to the working table, at predetermined intervals, a plurality of moulds in the working table, a plurality of dies working in said moulds to successively compress material therein, dies to compress soil filled in the cavities in the moulds and means to remove the finished blocks from the moulds.

4. In an apparatus for forming seed blocks and planting seed in combination, a frame, a

main driving shaft, 8, working table, a soil res-- ervoir and a seed reservoir, all of which having a step by step rotary motion imparted from the driving shaft by suitable gearing, means to continually supply moulding material to the workin table, means for proportioning soil and see to be delivered from the respective reservoirs to the working table at predetermined intervals, a plurality of moulds in the working table, a plurality of dies working in said moulds to successively compress material therein, dies to compress soil filled in the cavities in the moulds and means to remove the finished blocks from the moulds.

5. In an apparatus for forming seed blocks and planting seed, the combination with a plurality of moulds, of a plurality of resser dies, means to supply material and see to the moulds, means tomove the moulds in a step by step movement, a device for dipping them in impregnating material, means to remove the finished blocks from the moulds and to transfer them to said device, and a gripping device for transferring themfrom the impregnating device'to a transporting and storing device, said gripping device being in the form of spring clip arms, having points penetrating the covering of impregnating material, so as to leave access of air at suitable points of the sides of the blocks,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

BIRGER HOLM-HANSEN. 

